1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to storage cabinets.
2. Description of Related Art
Small electronic devices have grown to replace many of the older, bulkier devices consumers were accustomed to using. The smaller electronic devices are popular not only because of their smaller size and lighter weight, but also because they are portable, allowing consumers to take and use them anywhere—be it at home, at work, on vacation, in the car, etc. Due to the ever-popular portability of such small electronic devices, it is often the case that consumers use or carry several such devices at the same time. For example, a consumer may carry a cellular telephone, a personal digital assistant (“PDA”), and an iPod® music player, all at the same time. Similarly, consumers may have some or all such devices at their desks at work. Further, at home, a user may have all previously mentioned devices plus an electric toothbrush and an electric shaving razor, to name a couple. Other examples of such electronic devices are GameBoys® hand-held video games, digital cameras, and other similar devices.
Because small electronic devices are so popular, it has also become common for a household to have multiple quantities of the same device. Each electronic device usually comes with its own charger requiring a power outlet. Thus, charging multiple electronic devices through different outlets necessitates that consumers dedicate multiple power outlets to the devices. If a household or office does not have enough outlets in any one room, then a consumer may have to distribute the devices throughout several rooms. Distributing the devices throughout several rooms for the purpose of charging them is inefficient at least from the perspective of having to go to different rooms when it is time to use or collect one or more of the devices. Additionally, the cords that connect a device to a power outlet are often long and may impede traffic, creating safety concerns. Finally, having multiple cords in an area results in unsightly and dangerous clutter.
The more savvy users may utilize power strips to limit the number of dedicated power outlets and to select a convenient spot to charge a particular electronic device. However, this alternative still results in unnecessary clutter and the cords may still create safety concerns. Furthermore, storing and charging multiple electronic devices on a kitchen or bathroom counter, desk, or elsewhere significantly reduces the counter's or desk's usable space, further creating unsightly clutter.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to be able to minimize the safety concerns, the number of power outlets used, and the clutter associated with storing and charging multiple electronic devices.